Cotton harvester



April 4, 1950 W. E. BENNETT COTTON HARVESTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 12, 1946 IN VEN TOR.

W. E. BENNETT COTTON HARVESTER A ril 4, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 12, 1946 INVENTOR.

ATTD R N EYE Patented Apr. 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COTTON HARVESTER William E. Bennett, Littleiield, Tex. Application February 12, 1946, Serial No. 646.879

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a cotton harvester, and more especially to one that can be mounted on a tractor.

The main object of the invention is the provision of a device that will pick the cotton from the plants and separate the green bolls from the cotton by means of suction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device that picks the cotton from the plants and after separating it, discharges the cotton into a vehicle.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts to be hereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side view thereof with parts broken away and parts in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view of the cotton picking wheel or drum.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed view with parts broken away and parts in section of the suction device for separating the cotton from the green bolls.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the fan.

Figure '7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line |--l of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detailed section of the side of one of the conveyors.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detailed section of the top of the same, and

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view of the pulley sleeve.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 28 designates a tractor having front wheels 22 and rear traction wheels 24, upon which the harvester is mounted by means of a frame 2i which frame comprises the rearwardly extending parallel alined side bars 2|. Transverse parallel shafts 28 and 30 are journalled in bearings 84 and 36 positioned on opposite sides of the tractor 28 on the frame ii. A shaft 26 carries a pair of spaced circular drums 38 having arcuate fingers 40 thereon for gathering the cotton from the plants. Circular plates M are connected to the shaft housings 48 of the drums 38 and are positioned. on the periphery 45 of the drums 38 and inclose the drums 38 and fingers 40. The bearings 32 in which the shaft 26 is journalled are mounted on a substantially U-shaped support 42 pivotally mounted on the shaft 28.

A rope 44 trained over pulleys 39 is connected to the apex 46 of the frame 42 and controls the height of the fingers 40 from the ground.

Arms 48 pivotally mounted on shaft 26 are adapted to support a shaft 50 journalled in bearings 52.

Rollers 54 are secured to shaft 58 and a belt conveyor 56, having slats 58 provided with upstanding fingers 88, connected thereto, is trained over the rollers 84 and roller 62 is secured to shaft 30.

The conveyor 56 is positioned to and slightly under the rear of the drum 38 in order to receive the cotton and bolls when stripped from the plant by the fingers 40.

Hoods 64 surround the end of the conveyor 58 and has pipes 68 connected thereto at the rear thereof. The pipes 66 in turnare onne'cied to a fan housing 68 in which is positioned a fan 1 mounted on a shaft 68. The fan housing 68 is connected to a commercial separator 12 by means of angular pipes l4.

Therefore, when the cotton and bolls come within the confines of the hood 64, the cotton is drawn into the pipes 66 by suction created by the fan Ill and then into the separator 12.

The cotton, upon leaving the separator 72, drops onto an upwardly inclined conveyor 13 and is discharged from the conveyor 53 into a vehicle. The upper end of the conveyor is trained over shafts 15, each end of which is joumalled in the rear end of the sides of the hopper, which sides at their lower ends support the lower end of the conveyor 13 while the front wall 18' of the hopper supports the separator 72. The lower end of the conveyor 13 is trained over the shaft H which is journalled in the sides 18 of the hopper which are connected to the frame 2!. t

The hoods 84 have inclined pipe portions 18 which are connected to an upwardly inclined pipe 178 having an auger conveyor 88 positioned therein. a

The shaft 30 is provided with a sprocket gear 82 and a sprocket chain 84 is trained over sprocket 82 and a sprocket gear 88, mounted at the junction of the pipe portions 18 and pipe 18 on a stub axle 88.

The stub axle 88 has a bevel gear 90 secured thereto, which meshes with another bevel gear 92 secured to shaft 94 of the auger conveyor 80.

When the cotton is drawn into the pipe 66, the bolls being heavier than the cotton fall into the pipe portions and are conveyed upwards by the auger conveyor 80.

Positioned at the end of conveyor 80 is an up wardly inclined conveyor 96 which is trained over shafts 98 and 98' respectively.

The conveyor 96 is provided with upstanding fingers I which carry the bolls upwardly and deposit them in a container I02 positioned below the upper end of the conveyor 96.

The conveyor 96 is inclosed in a casing I04 which has a downwardly inclined discharge end I06 ositioned over the container I02.

Power for operating the machine is derived from take off pulleys I08 which are secured to the axle on opposite sides of the tractor 20.

Belt IIO are trained over the pulleys I08 and pulleys I I I which are secured to loosely mounted sleeves II2 on shaft 28.

Sprocket gears II4 are also secured to sleeves H2 and contact the pulley IIO. Sprocket chains II 6 are trained over sprocket gears IIB secured to the sides of the shaft 26. In this manner, power is transmitted to and rotates the drums 30.

A second sprocket gear I is secured to sleeves H2 and contacts the sprocket gear H4 and sprocket chains I22 are trained over the sprocket gear I20 and a sprocket gear I24 secured to the upper shaft of the conveyor 56.

In this manner power is transmitted to and .operates the conveyors 56 and 80.

A belt I32 is trained over the power take off I34 of the tractor 20 and a pulley I36 secured to a shaft I38 is journalled in bearings I40 in support I M connected to the frame 2|. A second pulley I42 is secured to the shaft I38 and a belt I44 is trained over the pulley I42 and the pulley I46 which is secured to shaft 69 of the fan 10. A belt I 48 is trained over a second pulley I50 secured to shaft 69 and a pulley I52 of the separator 12.

In this manner power is transmitted to and operates the fan 10 and separator 12.

A belt I54 is trained over a pulley I56 secured to the shaft of the power take off I 34 and a pulley I58 secured to the lower shaft 98 of the conveyor 96.-

A belt I60 is trained over pulley I58 and pulley I62 secured to the lower shaft 15 of the conveyor I3.

In this manner power is transmitted to the conveyors 15 and 90.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there is provided a device for picking or gathering the cotton from the plants having means for separat- 4 ing the cotton from the bolls by suction and means for elevating the bolls to a container and the cotton into a vehicle and means for separating the cotton before it enters the vehicle.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantageous novel features and operation of the device will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that said changes fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A cotton harvesting machine comprising a pair of horizontally disposed parallel side bars constituting a frame structure that is adapted to straddle a row of plants, a shaft mounted in said side bars transversely of said machine, a substantially U-shaped support pivotally mounted on said shaft; means for adjusting the height of said support, a second transverse shaft mounted in the forward end of said support, rotatable cotton picking drums mounted on said second shaft, depending fingers on said drums, chain drive connections between said first and second shafts, arms pivotally mounted on,said second shaft in depending relation thereto, a third shaft mounted at the lower ends of said arms, a fourth shaft mounted in said side bars, an endless conveyor mounted on said third and fourth shafts so that the lower forward end of said conveyor is adjacent said cotton picking drums for receiving the cotton therefrom. chain drive connections between said first shaft and said fourth shaft a power drive connection with said first shaft for the simultaneous rotation of all of said shafts, and suction means coacting with the upper rear end of said conveyor to dispose of cotton deposit on said conveyor by said drums.

WILLIAM E. BENNETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 796,207 Harbour Aug. 1, 1905 1,449,869 Novak Mar. 27, 1923 1,638,867 Melton Aug. 16, 1927 1,727,774 Houghton Sept. 10, 1929 1,778,587 Crumley Oct. 14, 1930 1,798,883 Hunter et a1 Mar. 31, 1931 1,842,737 'I'harpe Jan. 26, 1932 1,926,338 Johnston Sept. 12, 1933 

